Search - Soft Cell, Marc Almond :: Memorabilia: The Singles

Marianne E. from MAPLEWOOD, MO
Reviewed on 8/7/2006...

Classic. Great dance music.

Where are the memories?

threshingfloor | Seattle | 03/30/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Okay, so I have been listening to Marc Almond for nearly 16 years now and I have most of his LP's and singles. This CD has to be probably the worst out of the lot, but not for the singing- I actually liked the remix of Soul Inside (His vocals are much more distinct in this version)and Say Hello Wave Goodbye (sans the last note accidentally flatted).What disappointed me so much was the fact that this CD skips over the 5 albums which I feel are the most important to his career. His 3 solo albums: Vermin In Ermine, Stories of Johnny, Mother Fist and her Five Daughters, and his two Mambas releases: Untitled and Torment and Toreros. I felt that having ignored these 5 albums put a big gap into the listeners understanding of where Marc has been and what he has been doing during the mid to late 80's. If you like the first half of this CD I suggest you purchase the Soft Cell CD's are go from there; however, do not miss out on the 5 albums I listed above. If you only like the last half of the CD, skip the Soft Cell, and start with Vermin in Ermine and work cronologically. Trust me, it sounds NOTHING like Soft Cell, but at least you can hear where his original musings took him.Regardless, it is a Marc Almond release, and although it has YET ANOTHER version of "Tainted Love" on it, it is a good jumping point for those who are not familiar with his solo releases."

A great album for a casual fan.

JT | USA | 11/14/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It seems that most Marc Almond fans don't like this album very much, and I can understand that, but for me, Memorabilia: The Singles is perfect. The first half contains some of Soft Cell's best songs, and the second half of the album is Marc Almond's solo work. Many of the songs are remixes, but a casual fan won't care as they are very similar to the originals. Marc has a beautiful voice, definitely one of my favorites; unfortunately his lyrics are sometimes weak and he occasionally comes off as a bit too exuberant. Regardless, this is one of my favorite discs. Standout tracks include "Torch," "Tears Run Rings," and "Something's Gotten Hold of my Heart" (a duet with Gene Pitney). If you like "Tainted Love," you should give this a try!"